Airport approved with little detail

The Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (WSROC) has indicated its concern regarding the final approval conditions of the Western Sydney Airport EIS.

WSROC President Cr Stephen Bali said “While there were a number of amendments to the final EIS, there is still little certainty around the details of the project.

“This is an airport being approved without flight paths, without commitment to a rail line and without a solid plan for jobs,” he said.

“WSROC has previously called for the Government to secure a solid infrastructure plan for the airport, including a heavy rail link to the site from the start of operations.

“We commend the Government’s comprehensive rail scoping study for the Western Sydney region, but the reality is there is still no assurance that Badgerys will have a rail link from the outset of operations,” he said.

“Additionally, from what we can see, Western Sydney residents will not have access to the same noise protections as residents living around Kingsford Smith,” said Cr Bali.

“No noise sharing targets have been identified, and there have been no restrictions placed on night-time operations.

“While the amended EIS states that a noise insulation policy must be developed in future, there is no detail on the content or scope of this policy, offering very little certainty for Western Sydney residents,” he said.

“The final plan also states that the airport operator must limit aircraft noise ‘to the extent practicable’ over the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area; a weak protection for an area of international significance, and of critical importance to the Blue Mountains’ tourism economy,” said Cr Bali.­

"While the approved EIS is an improvement on the previous version, it still has no clear infrastructure plan, flightpaths and limited detail on protections for residents and the environment.

As these flightpaths change, the potential noise impacts will need further environmental assessment and community consultation,” said Cr Bali.

“We will be holding the Government to account in the next stages of planning to ensure that this project offers the benefits the Government is promising, and offers the best protections for our residents,” he said.